UTHSC medical students selected for prestigious research program at National Institutes of Health

Amy Kantipong and Atman Pai-Panandiker

Two students from the Medical School are among only 40 nationwide to be selected
for the 2000 Howard Hughes Medical Institute/National Institutes of Health
(HHMI/NIH) Research Scholars Program. The one-year program, with option to
remain a second year, begins in late summer on the NIH campus in
Bethesda, Md.

"Of the hundreds of applicants from the nation's 124 medical schools, two were
selected from the U. T. Health Science Center, which speaks well for our
reputation across the country," said Dr. Steven A. Wartman, dean of the Medical
School. "These students will interact with researchers and fellow students in a
highly stimulating environment. This will be a career-enhancing experience for
them and we look forward to their return to San Antonio when the program is
completed."

The HHMI/NIH Scholars are Atman S. Pai-Panandiker, who finished his third year
at the Medical School in May, and Amy Kantipong, who completed her second year.
Pai-Panandiker, of Austin, is a December 1996 honors graduate of U. T. Austin.
Kantipong, from Dallas, is a May 1998 honors graduate of
Duke University.

The Research Scholars Program exposes medical students to the NIH's strong
research programs in clinical medicine. Students live in a cloistered
environment at NIH, work in a laboratory with a distinguished NIH mentor, attend
discussion groups with other Scholars, take in seminars and guest lectures, and
enjoy group dinners. "It's not, 'go to the lab, go home, go to the lab, go
home,'" Pai-Panandiker said. "This is a chance to meet people from other medical
schools."

Kantipong said she will enjoy knowing the career plans of medical students from
other parts of the country.

Each HHMI/NIH Scholar receives an $18,000 stipend for the year. Students who
decide to pursue careers in research may be eligible for scholarships
to assist them with the remainder of their medical education.

Helping her selection, Kantipong conducted two years of research at Duke and
finished a summer program in pediatric cardiology at the U. T. Southwestern
Medical Center at Dallas. Pai-Panandiker, who is considering a career in
radiation oncology, completed a summer course at UTHSC in geriatrics and
physiology. "I am grateful for the opportunity to learn about research
firsthand. NIH is the number one place to get that kind of experience,"
Kantipong said.

She will travel to Bethesda in late July and Pai-Panandiker will travel there in
early August. "We think it's a wonderful opportunity," he said.